online purchases

[hburke]

minneapolis, minnesota

question: i ordered something online from what is objectively a reputable store. the item was listed as "on sale." after placing the order, i received a confirmation notice. then, a few hours later i got an email stating that the item was "sold out" and "no longer available." but... the item was never taken off the website - it is still posted. isn't that bait and switch? what sort of recourse do i have for this sort of fraud.

thank you for your help.

heather

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

My response:

When they told you that the item was "sold out", were you offered another, comparable, item ? If so, were you induced by them to buy that other item ? Did you buy the other item ? Was the other item in the same, or similar, price range ?

IAAL

 

[hburke]

i was not asked to buy anything else. i was simply told the item was sold out. but if the item is sold out, shouldn't they be legally obligated to take the item off the website? or, shouldn't they have to give me that price?

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

My response:

Then there was no "bait and switch".

Sometimes, and without legal culpability, vendors and merchants do, in fact, run out of an item. I am sure that a merchant, who's in business to make money, would love to have an unending supply of goods to sell. However, sometimes, "demand" outstrips "supply".

Please read their site disclaimers. Or, if you give me the URL, I'll be glad to check it out for you.

IAAL

 

[hburke]

thank you very much for your help.

heather